Bill Seeks National Medical Records System

An important expectation in this bill is that it will be designed by private industry and primarily funded by private industry. We have already seen the Managed Care Companies begin to come to the table with the development of PHRs (Personal Health Records). The next step is to help the providers of care afford EHRs.SV


WASHINGTON — After Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and Mississippi, thousands of evacuees with health problems faced double jeopardy because their medical records had been lost — forcing doctors in evacuation centers to rely on educated guesswork in treating patients they'd never seen before.

One group was spared that risk: former members of the armed forces whose records were available electronically from the Department of Veterans Affairs. For these patients, doctors in Texas, Arkansas and other states that took in Katrina refugees could call up medical charts, prescriptions, lab results — even videos of medical imaging tests.


LA TIMES